Republicans dropping Obamacare as issue in shutdown

NBC News political director Chuck Todd tells TODAY’s Matt Lauer that House Republicans have begun shifting their focus away from the Affordable Care Act as their main point of contention in the government shutdown, with major players like John Boehner and Paul Ryan proposing compromise outside of defunding Obamacare.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>chuck todd
, good morning to you.

>>good morning, matt.

>>we're hearing a shift in tone here chuck. we're hearing lawmakers use words like embarrassment and shame over these emergency death benefits. is it possible that embarrassment and shame might force real action, real compromise on the shutdown?

>> reporter: i'd like to think it would actually force a resolution on the larger issue. i think what's more likely is what andrea outlined. the house today will act on this bill. the one thing the senate and the
white house
have done while they rejected the idea of little bills like this to reopen parts of the government, anything that's had to do with the military and anybody fighting overseas, that the president has done. he signed the paycheck law. i would be shock first degree this didn't just immediately get to the president's desk, perhaps before the close of business.

>>let's look at the bigger picture. for weeks we have been talking about defunding or delaying obama care. we're segwaying right into a heated debate over raising the debt ceiling and the
tea party
seems very much dug in here. both sides seem dug in, yet
john mccain
had this to say on tuesday. let me play it for you.

>>how is this going to end? we know how it's going to end. we know how it's going to end.
sooner or later
the government will resume it's function.
sooner or later
we will raise the debt limit. the question is how do we get there?

>>that's a very realistic comment from a guy that's seen his share of battles. can that mindset prevail.

>> reporter: i don't know and if
john mccain
could bring any other republicans with him beyond a handful maybe there would be a resolution or we wouldn't have even been in this place in the first place but that's not where the
republican party
is today. you're right, the
tea party
side of this is dug in. now, there was a lot of heated rhetoric yesterday but
behind the scenes
you see shifts,
john boehner
is no longer talking about
health care
. the issue isn't there.
paul ryan
who was the republican
vice presidential candidate
, the house republicans chief budget guy, he is in the
wall street journal
with a solution that barely touches
health care
. if you look and wonder is there
quote unquote
good news to find out what the
end game
is, there is. house republicans seem to be dropping the
health care
thing. the question is whether the
tea party
folks will be okay with that. i don't think they will but it does feel like the leadership of the
republican party
is trying to get away from it. if they do, then we'll actually see an
end game
.

>>quickly before i let you go, the president expected to announce
janet yellen
today to replace
ben bernanke
. do you expect smooth sailing for her in terms of confirmation?

>> reporter: i don't. given how the
tea party
wing of the
republican party
feels about the
federal reserve
you'll see
ted cruz
and rand paul and guys like that make her confirmation hearing a fairly rough ride. she'll make it but i don't think it's going to be easy.